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Palestinians in Syria Drawn into the Uprising
(New York Times) Rod Nordland and Dalal Mawad - Under the ruling Assad family, Syria has long defined itself as a champion of resistance to Israel, providing a haven for Palestinians and hosting radical militant groups like Hamas. Now the Palestinians are forced to choose between the popular mood and their benefactor. The top Hamas leadership chose to leave, while other groups stayed behind. Nidal, 23, a university student in Damascus, said he and his friends were reluctant at first to support the Syrian uprising. "Day by day, Palestinians began to see and hear by their eyes and ears what the Assad regime does, and this pushed us, slowly, to change." In addition, most Palestinians are Sunni Muslims, as are most Syrian opponents of Assad's government. At the same time, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, led by Ahmed Jabril, is said to be working with the Syrian secret police.